The Autobots Fall to the Decepticons (DW-Verse)
Log Title: The Autobots Fall to the Decepticons Characters: Optimus Prime (DW), Bumblebee (DW), Frenzy (DW), Hook (DW), Starscream (DW), Megatron (DW), Hot Spot (DW), Blades (DW) Location: Cybertron 'Date: 4+ million years ago ' 'TP: "What-If Universe" ' 'Summary: Optimus Prime leads the Autobots on a daring energy expedition to Earth, but the Autobot leader's gamble goes horribly wrong - and plunges the Autobots into a 4-million period of hiding. ' 4.5 million years ago... The seeds of the Autobot's demise are currently being sewn. Optimus Prime is leading a gang of high-ranking and ragtag Autobots on a daring energon run. But Megatron and the Decepticons catch wind and strike the Autobot Shuttle shortly after it lifts off. The Decepticons' land-based weapons land a direct hit to the Ark's main engines, causing a massive explosion. Prime manages to steer the shuttle, but it crashes violently, splitting in two and exploding. All around are the fallen forms of Ironhide, Prowl, Jazz, and others. But a few still stagger. Prime knows Megatron is coming soon. Getting up, he looks at Bumblebee and unfastens Bee's restraints. Optimus has a concerned look on his face, knowing this may be the end for him. But they must still put up a resistance so the remaining Autobots may live. After cutting Bumblebee's restraints, he rests a hand on Bumblebee's shoulder. "Bumblebee - I want you to take the others and retreat - now." Bumblebee shakes his head, without really thinking. "No, Prime - I'm not leaving you! You're coming with us!" The minibot's optics are bright, flickering with fear, uncertainty, and worry. Around him, the survivors or the surprise attack are struggling to get their bearings, some trying futilely to get the Ark online again. "Prime -please! We need you!" Optimus Prime staggers to get his weapon. Prime's eyes glow with determination. "Bumblebee - this is an ORDER!" He looks on at the remaining staggering Autobots, and steels himself, knowing what must be done. He divides the Autobots up into two groups. "Bumblebee - you are to take this group and retreat ... now!" He looks at the other Autobots and says calmly "I know what I am asking - but within minutes, we could face our end - but it us up to us to ensure that does not happen! When the Decepticons arrive, we will hold the line - we are the guardians of our future! This is OUR moment!" Optimus Prime looks at Bumblebee and gives a wane smile. "Go..." Bumblebee didn't want to leave. He didn't want to abandon his - his /friend/! "Prime..." he says mournfully, resigned. "...Til All Are One." He voice is unsteady, but he nods. "Autobots... follow me." He leads his group - those who will be the protectors or the weak and downtrodden - to the exit. But he pauses at the threshold, looking back. "...Goodbye... Optimus." With that, he forces himself ahead. Prime smiles at Bumblebee. "May the Matrix guide you, old friend. We will see one another again!" He then looks on and sees the incoming Decepticons. Prime steels himself and raises his rifle. "On my marks Autobots... HOLD THE LINE!" Prime then fires off a few rifle shots, hitting and crippling Thundercracker and Skywarp. The few remaining wounded Autobots fire on into the near-unstopping approaching Decepticon swarm. The night before, Prime had a 'vision' - in the Matrix where Alpha Trion's creator - the last 'prime' (dead prime, A3 is still alive) told Optimus that even if the raid fell and the Decepticons approached, it is NOT time to open the Matrix. Prime waits and continues to fire. His hands shake slightly. Though he has led the Autobots for thousands of years, he is still plagued by some youthful inexperience (which shows with his keeping the Matrix). Oh, how Megatron has waited for this day. He strides into the still-burning Ark, flanked by his soldiers. He ignores whatever Starscream is blabbering about (something about his squadmates...) and smirks. "Leave Prime to me. Destroy any survivors!" he bellows. The Decepticons now converge on the crippled, still burning Ark. After a few shots, the Decepticons make easy destruction of Cliffjumper, Brawn, and Trailbreaker, callously firing and cutting down more of the remaining Autobots. Optimus Prime steadies himself. His bravado is shaken as he sees his close friends Brawn and Ironhide killed, joining Prowl and Jazz, along with several others on the Ark. He looks at Megatron as the Decepticon leader seems to have been barely scratched. The Slag Maker grins, and if he were human, it'd be a toothy grin. Not that humans are around yet, but hey! "So, Prime... It comes to this." he says, his voice smooth, filled with confidence. Arrogance, one might say, but Prime is weakened, both from the crash and the loss of his soldiers. "Come, let us end this!" Prime circles Megatron and activates his arm, triggering an axe. "So if I strike you down, which one of your minions will be waiting to take the next cheap shot?!" He then impulsively launches himself toward Megatron and swings his axe. GAME: DW-Optimus Prime FAILS a DEXTERITY roll of Immense difficulty. Optimus SWINGS! at Meagtron and gets a full 'whoosh' of air! Prime's bold raid has failed in almost every way. But the remaining Autobots are holding out valiantly, giving Bumblebee and the others the essential, critical minutes it takes to survive. Megatron deftly avoids the impulsive axe, his own arm shifting to bring out his mace. "...If I fall in combat against Prime, you are to let him retreat!" he orders the Decepticons around him. "That's an order." He's not being honorable here, nope. He just doesn't want Starscream or someone else to kill Prime and claim leadership of the Decepticons. With a roar, he charges Prime, intent on bashing his braincase with the mace. *CRACK!!!* Prime's protective headplate cracks under Megatron's brutal mace. Internals in Prime begin to malfunction as Prime staggers to the ground, dropping his weapon. Prime's optics try to focus on Megatron and he spots Meagtron's midsection. Balling his fists he makes a 'hammer' with his free hand and tries to gash Meagtron's side with his summoned axe. GAME: DW-Optimus Prime PASSES a STRENGTH roll of Immense difficulty. Megatron almost sighs. Behind and to the side, Starscream laughs. "This was almost too easy!" Internally, Megatron agreed, but he wasn't going to admit that! "Get up, Prime. You can do better than this!" The Slag Maker is taken by surprise by getting gut-hammered. He stumbles back, his midsection's armor cleanly cracked, energon leaking. "...Such heroic nonsense." he muttered, before raising his cannon at Prime. The cannon glows as energy builds up. "Farewell, my advisary!" The remaining Autobots around the Decepticons fall to the Decepticon attacks. Some are still functioning, but are barely able to move. The Decepticons slowly begin to stop fighting and begin to circle Megatron and Prime, sensing an enormous turn of events in the coming short minutes. Optimus looks as the cannon begins to glow and tries desperately to 'bash' Megatorn's cannon arm away, sparing him the lethal blow. Prime's last, desperate action doesn't save him. A small amount of energy discharges to the side of Megatron, but Megatron quickly recovers, and fires a purple-black blast of energy at Optimus; a fatal blow. It's a clean shot, one that would snuff out Prime's life without too much agony. A quick death, Megatron privately mused; Optimus had earned that. The surviving Autobots, on the other hand... *ZZZRAAAK!!!* The sick, purplish black energon surges into Optimus Prime, tearing into his laser core and exiting in his back. The blast sends Prime nearly 30 feet as he falls and skids to a stop. Prime's optics flicker faintly as his chest panels split weakly, revealing an intriguing, glowing artifact. Starscream looks on in astounded wonder. He has routinely been met on the receiving end of Prime's attacks and he has now JUST saw Megatron make relatively easy due with his longtime nemesis. Optimus Prime's internals begin to fail - one major function system after another. He reflexively tries to cover his chest panel, shielding Megatron from spotting the Autobots' greatest possession. Megatron watches as his foe's frame flies across the room. He walks over, casually, even as his minions starts chanting and cheering. He kneels down, and with no delicacy he rips the glowing artifact from Prime's chassis. "The Autobot Matrix is mine!" he bellows. Truthfully, he had no inkling of the Matrix's nature, only knowing the legend - that it would light the darkest hour. Whatever that meant. Optimus Prime barely ekes out "NO!" before his optics fade to black. After thousands of years of battle, Optimus Prime's form grows ashen still. That act has even shut Starscream up! Starscream looks at Megatron and backs away slightly. Megatron smirks. Starscream cowed and silent was a -good- day. "Warriors, let us return to Polyhex with our prize!" he hefts the Matrix up in the air, to loud cheers. Optimus Prime's optics finally turn coal black. Optimus Prime - Megatron's greatest foe - lay dead - his signature rifle mere feet away. Optimus Prime's still form rests near a dangerous drop off. Prime would be great as a trophy in Megatron's gallery. But before Megatron can even decide what to do with his fallen foe, Starscream already decides! He grins and looks over at Optimus Prime. "How do you feel, mighty leader!" He then callously KICKS Optimus off the embankment. Prime freefalls out of site from the Decepticons. Starscream then looks on in alarm. Starscream raises his hands cowardly "I...I didn't mean!" Starscream is very, VERY lucky that Megatron's in the best mood he's ever had, otherwise Starscream'd be joining Prime down below. "You're an idiot Starscream!" Megatron scowls, striding over to dope-slap the Air Commander hard enough to send the mech to the ground. "Soundwave, when we return to Polyhex, send the Constructicons to retrieve Prime's chassis." Starscream breathes out in relief, but looks down at the embankment, impossible to find where Optimus Prime landed. Starscream smirks evilly "You really are dead...can't say I miss you!" Frenzy giggled at Megatron's response and picks up Optimus Prime's rifle and heads to Decepticon headquarters carrying the only trophy Megatron will see from his fallen foe. The Ark in ruins. The Matrix gone. Prime dead. This is truly the Autobots' darkest day. A Few Days Later... Deep within the recesses of Cybertron, the remaining Autobots have gone underground. Hot Spot, Blades, and Bumblebee are walking through the recesses of Cybertron, trying to make sense of their horrible new way of life. Blades is walking with Bumblebee and he suddenly spots something a few meters away. He puts an arm against Bumblebee, hoping to shield him from the obvious. One look though confirms Bumblebee's worst fears as he locks on to the heap of metal that at least in the shadows looks painfully familiar. Hot Spot lets out a faint groan, " ..." "I..." Whatever Bumblebee was trying to say stuck in his vocalizer and died. His optics were dull, almost grey, and his shuffled his feet as he and his companions walked. He seemed listless. With time, he would find his resolve, and become the leader his people needed. But now.. "P-Prime!?" He shoves past Blades, almost hoping... "No...He-" Prime's form remains still, eyes forever blackened. No 'farewell' or death speech. The exploded core of Optimus Prime revealed a quick demise. Hot Spot looks down and sighs "This is truly our darkest hour." He looks at Bumblebee "I'm sorry..." DW-Bumblebee says, "Prime...." Bumblebee sinks to his knees, letting out a quiet but mournful keening, a sound of grief rarely heard from the usually cheerful minibot. "We... We can't leave him here!" Hot Spot nods and sighs "Agreed." He quickly transforms into his truck mode and reveals a flatbed. "Blades... please help get him on." Blades nods and goes to Prime. The task takes several minutes as Blade's is pretty low on strength and energon as he tries to get Prime's deadweight onto the flatbed. Bumblebee rouses himself, and mutely helped Blades, stumbling several times. "Prime... I shouldn't have left you..." ... The trip back to where Bumblebee leads takes hours, but it feels like days. Neither Blades nor Hot Spot can say a thing. It's a grim procession that finally arrives at the Temple of Knowledge. For now, Alpha Trion is alive, but hidden. He will join Optimus, his creation, in death soon. But none but Fate know this. "Hot Spot, Blades." Bee's voice is wavering, but he tries to sound like a leader for his friends. "...We should let him rest here. He... belongs to the past." Blades manages to pull Optimus Prime off of Hot Spot's bed. Hot Spot then transforms and helps Blades carry their fallen leader to a pristine area in the Temple of Knowledge. Hot Spot bows his head and says a quick, solemn prayer for Optimus Prime. He then looks at Bumblebee. "He should be safe here." "The Decepticons don't have any reason to come here..." Bumblebee says, more hopeful than certain. He, too, whispers a prayer, and a promise. He *would* protect his people. "Please, Primus... welcome his spark." Back at Decepticon headquarters, Hook begins to affix the Matrix into Megatron's arm cannon. Inside the container, Prime is at first welcome, but then soundly admonished by many of the former Primes about not handing the Matrix over to Bumblebee. It was a catastrophic mistake that would take 4 million years to correct. Starscream looks over at Hook and frowns "Make sure the Constructions keep looking for Optimus Prime!"